The Augusta Commission joined most area governments Thursday and voted to “opt out” of House Bill 581, the floating homestead bill, while stating the move was needed merely to garner public feedback.
Voters statewide and in Augusta approved the bill in a Nov. 5 referendum. It creates an automatic floating homestead exemption, added to any existing homestead exemptions, that limits tax increases on owner-occupied homes, unless a government opts out of the program by holding three public hearings.
Homeowners such as former Mayor Bob Young have spoken out loudly in favor of keeping the exemption as a boon to homeowners rather than opting out.
“I’m just one voice and have said all I have to say,” Young said after the vote. “I told the mayor and commission they should not attempt to nullify the votes of over 48,000 Augustans.”
Thursdays’s vote sets in motion the three public hearings, although the dates of the hearings were not announced.
To commissioner questions, Administrator Tameka Allen said attendees can be provided additional information about why the hearings must be advertised as the decision to “opt out,” as the bill requires, even if that’s not the commission’s eventual decision.
At the request of Commissioner Tony Lewis, the hearings will be held at three locations. The locations are Diamond Lakes Regional Park, Warren Road Community Center and downtown at the Augusta Municipal Building.
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Grovetown approves hearings for House Bill 581
Asked to describe the impact of the bill, Interim Finance Director Tim Schroer said it will create more exemptions for homeowners and shift the tax burden slightly more to non-homesteaded properties.
In its first year, the bill’s effect will be nominal, with a net change in tax collections of about $500,000, Schroer said.
If a government doesn’t opt out, the bill allows local governments to levy, with voter approval, an additional sales tax to offset the lost revenue, he said.
Augusta’s newest sales tax would be limited to half a percent because the city is close to its state sales tax cap of 9%.
Commissioners Alvin Mason and Jordan Johnson appeared to support not opting out since voters approved the referendum.
“It’s difficult for me not to listen to the voices that have already stated, ‘this is what we want,’” Mason said.
“I believe the voters said what they said,” Johnson said.
Mayor Garnett Johnson reminded the commission the referendum itself provides for opting out.
“That resolution that was on the Nov. 5 ballot did give governments the option to opt out,” Johnson said. “I think (the legislature) did a good job by putting this on the counties, because every county is different.”
On Commissioner Don Clark’s motion, the commission voted 10-0 to move forward with holding the hearings. Commissioner Brandon Garrett was absent Thursday.
Commission OKs referendum on charter changes
At the request of Commissioner Johnson, the commission unanimously approved including language in a resolution specifying that any proposed changes to Augusta’s charter go before voters in a referendum.
The request was an add-on to the commission’s earlier vote to have the Carl Vinson Institute of Government facilitate a committee review of the 1996 charter. When the committee and the General Assembly finalize their recommendations, the proposed changes would be posed to voters in a referendum.
Mason and Mayor Johnson have spoken out about seeking voters’ final OK on the changes.
“I want to assure you and this entire city and county any changes whatsoever to this charter will go to the voters, period,” Mason said.
While the language is now included in the resolution, calling for a referendum will require a separate commission action, attorney Jim Plunkett said.
